Combined power-transmission and automatic braking mechanism for motor-driven vehicles.



No. 877,714. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908. T. W. HEERMANS GOMBINED POWERTRANSMISSION AND AUTOMATIC BRAKING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES.

PPLIO TI I DJ 122,19 A A on ILB A 07 BEEEETS-SHEBT 1.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- T. W. HEERMA NS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1907 FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES.

' COMBINED POWER TRAKSMISSION AND AUTOMATIC BRAKING'MBCHANISM No.877,714. PATENTED JAN. 28, 19 08. T. W. HEERMANS.

SMISSION AND AUTOMATIC BRAKLNG MECHANISM FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES.

COMBINED POWER THAN 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I acldawiZ/fiemzwis' APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 22, 1907.

" MASS, ai-citizen of the United States,jand a specification.

-' elevation 'of the shifting nut constituting part of the braking andpower transmitting I ated by said motor.

' shaft 18.

T all whom it ma concern:

ing Mechanism tor Motor-Driven Vehicles; and 'I do hereby declare thatthe following is drawings, .a nd'to the letters of reference 'cifiballyto a combined automatic -brake and ower transmission mechanism for suchveplan view of the chassis of a'motor driven vehicle, showing mymprovement app ied T 't-ion rings constituting parts of the, brakingnut. Fig..'10 is an" end view of the driving thei-rearaxle,i said gear,inc uding a .gear' Us ITED s'rarnsirnrnnr OFFICE."-

THADDEUS. W. ,HEERMANS,

or EVANSTON, ILLINOiS;

co un'rnnn rowan-TRANSMISSION AND ntt'romarrc BnAKInG MECHANISM For;moron DRIVEN VEHICLES. v

- No.,877,7i4.

Be it knownthat I, THADDEUSZYV'. Hannresident otEvanston, in' the countyof Cook and Sta-te of Illinois,'have invented certain l new and usefulImprovements in Combined Power-Transmission and Automatic Brak a full,clear,' and exact description thereof, reference being had. to theaccompanying "n'arked thereon, h form a P ofivthisi "This inventionrelates to improvements motor-driven vehicles and refers more speiicles.1 J 1 The inventionconsistsin the matters hereinafter set .forthv andmore particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

' In the drawings:F-igure' 1 is a partial thereto. Fig. 2 is a section,taken on line 2'2 ot'Fig. 1-. F igs.- 3, and 4 are cross-sem tions,taken respectivelyon lines '33 and. -1-L of Fig. 2. Figs. 5an'd 6illustrate frio mechanism.- Fig. 7 a transversesection, taken on line 77of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 1s a s de mechanism. Fig. 9 is-an'end view-of said Ishatt sleeve that has-interlocking connection with said nut; Fig. 111s asideview of ing; mechanism.-

As'shown in-the drawings,- :15. -15 designate 17, designates the motorand 18 designates the rotative driving shaft oper 18* designates therear axle of thevehicle. 19 designates a difierential-flear carr ed bywheel 20 meshes with a gear'pinion 21- carried by the rear endof-androtated bythe 22ddesign'ates", as a \"hol e;myim-" proved Ibraking and power transmission .apparatiisy now" to'be described, itbeing Specification of Letters Patent. -Application and January 22.1907. semi No. 353.519.-

Patented an. 28, 1903,

shown in' Fi I as inclosed in a suitable cas-- mg which also extendsover and mcloses the differential gear, The said gear pinion 21, Icarried by the rear end of the shaft 18, is 1 formed on a hub 22' thatis-s jlined or otherwise securedto a sleeve 23 wh chls mounted on therear end of'the shaft and is adapted 25 designates a nut which surroundsthe driving shaft and isinteriorly screw-threaded lto engage-exteriorscrew-threads 26 on said i and out et mesh with the gear wheel 20, fora. purpose hereinafter to be described.

shaftf The 'said nut is adapted for inter- 3 looking engagement atone-end with the ad- .ja-cent end of the sleeve 23 carrying thepinion21.

nut is provided at one end with angularly For this purpose the hub 27 ofsaid separatedprhjections 28, '28 and intervenin recesses 29., 29,1andthe sleeve 23 is provide Iwith-l-ikemecesses 30 adapted to receivetheprojections28 of the nut and with'p'rojections 31- adapted to enterthe-recesses 29-01 said: nut. jiocatediat the sides. of saidknot are twolocking rings or me mbers -32,.33; Theformer locking ring .is providedwith a hub 34 whichsu'rroufids and has bearing on the inner end of thepinion sleeve 23, While the latter ring is provided with a likehub 35that surrounds and has bearing on the shaft 18.- The outer end of thehub of therin 32 bears against an inwardly facing shoulder formed on aflange36 on the pinion sleeve' '23, while the outer end of the hub 35has like.

hearing against an inwardly facing shoulder formed on a 'fla'nge.37 onthe shaft-18. The

saidpinion 21 and-its sleeve are locked on the shaft 18 by means of. anut 38-Which1ihas screw-threaded engagement with the outer reduced endof the shaft. Aw'asher 39 is interpos ed between 'the nut and sleeve.The

nut may ,be locked in place by a tapered screw-threaded stud 4 0 thathasscrewthreaded engagementwith an axial socket in the slitted, reduced endof the shaft, asind-i'cated in Fig. 2. The pinion sleeve 23 and theinterloeked nut 25 are, therefore, 'con'-' fined between said nut ontheone han and the flange 37 on" the other hand, said flange 13ml mitconstituting ab'utm'ents which re'-:

ceive thethrust of said parts.- I 45, 46 designate statlonary-annularlocklie 7 ing members exterior to uuu cooperating with thelocking rings 32, 33. looking members each consists of an annular flange47 which surrounds its associated lockin ring, a radial web 48 and a hub49. The said hubs 49 have bearing on the hubs 0f the inner locking ringsor members. The said exterior locking members are nonerotatively fromrotatingin the opposite direction, in-

cave recess 51 and on the other side an in-- clinedv cam or wedge-face52, as shown best. in Fig. 1 1.

tween the annular cylindric faces of said ex -v Within the chambersformed be terior locking members and the inner toothed peripheries ofthe inner locking rings are mounted a plurality of cylindric rollers 53.Said rollers are held in place by rings 54 fastened in any suitablemanner to the inner faces of the interior'locking rings 32 and 33 andoverlapping the roller chambers. This arrangement of the parts permitseach of the rings 32 and 33 to rotate freely'in the direction towardwhich face the concave faces 51 of the teeth; but the rings areprevented asmucli as the latter movement of the rings pinches the rollerbetween the wedge faces 52 of said teeth and the inner cylindric facesteeth of the other ring that one ring is adapted of the flanges 47 ofsaid exterior locking members. The inclined and the. concave faces ofthe teeth of each interior locking ring are so disposed relatively to.the like faces of the to be lo clred from rotation in one direction,

' The braking elements while theother ring islikewise adapted to belocked from rotation in the other direction.- Said locking rings aremade hollow or'recess'ed on their inner or adjacent sides to receivebraking elements which are located between the bottom of said recessesand the nut-25 and 006 crate with said parts in a manner hereinarte'r tobe described to efiect the braking action. 1 v

herein shown comprise a pluralityof friction rings 56, 57 ar ranged intwo groups or sets, one'grou'p' between each interior locking ringandnut2'5.,

The rings 56 are providedwith oppositely disposed peripheral projections"58 on their outer margins, while the rings 57 are provided with likeprojections 59 onv their inner mar- 'ns. The arrangement of the frictionrings in the two groups are alike and said rings 56,

' 5.7 of each group-arearranged in alternateorder. The rings of one kindof each set are affixed to'and'rotate with the locking rings 3-2, 33,while the rings of the other kind are Said exterior fixed to and rotatewith the nut. As heremi shown, said rings 56 are locked to and rotatewith the locking rings, the peripheral roj'ections 58- thereof enteringrecesses or soc ets 60,60 in the walls of the recesses of the lookingrings.

ner locked to the nut, the projections 59 on i the inner margins thereofenteringnotches 61; formed in the hub of the said nut.

It will thus be seen that each'of said rings-has fric- The frictionrings 57, which to v tate with the locking nut, are in a like manetionalengagement withv another ring or the flat surface of the adjacentlocking rim or nut.

As shown, the rings of one of the a termite of rings are apertured inorder to permit lubricant to find its way to all parts of the bearingsurfaces of the rings.

'l he main operative parts of the mechanism abo;e,described are inclosedwithin a casing made, as herein shown, of two halves horizontallydivided and joined at their margins by bolts 62 extending throughflanges on the meeting1 margins thereof. prises t ree parts, to 'wit,-achamber 63 inclosing the locking and friction devices, a cylindric orneck portion 64 inclosing the part of the shaft between said chamber andthe Said casing comdifferential gear, and a part 65 inclosing thedifferential gear. The saidcasing is formed to provide separatedbearings for the shaft at" At the ends of said suitably located points.chamber 63 are formed bearings 66, 66 which engage bearing bushings 67,68 mounted on the shaft, each of which constitutes one member of eachrotative' bearing. The bearing for the end of the shaft adjacent to thediffer ential gear comprisesa ball bearingand is: made as follows: 70designates a ring which surrounds the hub 22 of the shaft pinion 21.Said ring fits closelywithin the cylindric portion of the casing and isnonrotatively fixed withinthe casing by means hereinafter dcscribed. Thesleeve is recessed at its ends to form annular ball chambers in which aseries of antifriction balls 71- are located. 1 The said.

annular recesses of the ring are faced with bearings rm s 72 of angularcross-sect on, the

radial mem er of each of which fits against the flat side of itsassociated recess, and the cylindric member of which fits against the'cylindric inner surface of the recess- The hub of the pinion carrieslike shaped hearing. or facingrings 7 3, the cylindric members of whichengage the cylindric face ofthe hub and the radial members ofwhich-extend radially outwardly across the antifriction ball chambers,as clearly shown in Fig. '2.

The said bearing ring and'ant'ifriction bearshoulder on the bevelpinionQl' andloc'king rings 74,174, having screwsthreaded engageingsnarelocked between an inwardly facing ment withlthe inner end of the hub ofsaid pinion. Y The means for nonrotat v'ely fixing the ex terior lockingmembers 45, 46- inthe mobsisc . ing casing are chamber 63 that inclosesthe braking mechanismproper. The sa d studs are provided at their innerends with angular heads 81 which engage sockets 82,82 formed Ont-heouter faces of'said exterior locking members.

. applied to inclose the mechanism after the the shaft 18 rotates in nut25, is to shift latter has been assembled on the shaft 18. In assemblingthe casing, therefore, the lower member thereof is fitted to thepartsfrom be low, and the heads'8 1 of the studs enter'the ower socketsthrough the lower open sides hereof. *The upper meinber of the casing islikewise fitted in place from above and the heads of-the upper studsenter} their asso the upper open sides ciated sockets through thereof. v

The 0 erationofthe mechanism for driv iiig and raking-is asfollows:Assuming that a clock-wise direction to drive; the vehicle forwardlythrough the intermeshinggea'rsZO, 21,-the-first effect of i .therotation of-th"' ,shaft, turningwithin the, the nut-against the group offriction rings associated-with the lockingring' 33 and thereby lock saidnut to the shaft through the-shearing action on the.

screw-threads of said parts." By reason, of

-' the interlocking connection of the sleeve 23 drivinqgor power. It u{mesa-rings carrying the pinlon wlth the nut, "said pinion the same.direction as the will be rotated 1nshaft to 1 drivev the'vehiclewforwardly; At this. time, therefore, the nutand the associatedset of friction rings be tween the sameand'thelocking ring 33 constitutepart of the transmission. connections. be observed that at this time theshaft, as when the vehicle is" reversed, the

associated with the locking ring 32, an

whenthe shaft isthus reverselyrotated the motor, the friction ringsassociated with the locking ring. 32 drivin connections.

v of said locking rings is thus -locked tothe shaft to-rotate-therewith,at a time. when the motor drives the vehicle, such *ring rotates inafa'ces'the cylindric recesses 51 of the teeth 52 that w en eitherof-Ithe inner locking ring,

It will be remembered direction towards which thereby permittingeach-ring to rotate in its properdirection 7 made as follows: 80, 8Odesignat'e studs which extend through and are rigidl'v connectedwith theend walls of the "rearwardly in the following manner.

of the other group are loose and the shaft turns freely within the"' same and the locking ring associated therewith. Upon reversalof thedirection of rotation-of the nut is sh'fted toward's the set. offriction ringsdfrom. rotation and the vehicle is stopped .Thus it willbe seen that the two constitutepart 'of the 1 when it is desired tofreely. ljIiOlllCl the load tend to drive or reverse the direction ofthe motor, the said shifting nut andthe twogroups of friction ringsoperate to arrest the vehicle and bring it to a stop in the followingmanner. In the event the pinion 21 and its sleeve and the nut 25connected therewith tendto rotate relatively to the shaft in the samedirection which-the shaft rotates in driving the yehicle, (as; forinstance, when the motor and its shaft18 are slowed down or arrested, or

when the load of the vehicle tends 'to drive the inotor)the effect is toshiftthe nut 25, by

reason of its screw-threaded engagement with the shaft, towards thatgroup of friction rin s and locking rin oppositeto the grou of rictionrings which cooperated to 100 the nut. to the shaft: when the vehiclewas being driven by its motor through said shaft. The locking ringassociated with the friction rings towards which the nut has justbeenshifted is now locked to the shaft through of said latter frictionrings. Inasmuch, however, as the direction of rotation of'the parts atthis time is the direction toward which face the inclined or wedgeshapedmargins of the teeth 50 thereof, said locking ring is locked fromrotation by the wedging action of the'rollers53 between saidinclined-lniargins ofithe teeth and the cylindric inner surface of theannular flange 47 of the agency the associated exterior locking member.

.The, vehicle is" therefore brought to a state of rest or slowed down,depending upon whether ornot the driving shaft ceases rotation orcontinues to rotate. It is hie-1e be running forwardly or backwardly.

If, on the other hand, the load tends tb reverse the direction ofmovement of the vehicle (as, for instance, when ascending a hill 'groupsoir sets of friction rings cooperate with the shifting nut 25 to imparta driving connection at the time-the vehicle is being operated throughthe shaft 1-8.

I In order topermit the vehicle to bemoved means than its own power, asfor instance,

ush' thevehicle from lace 'toplace by han means are provided fordisconnecting the shaft 18 from the on its wheels from place to place byother 100 obvious that the action described will occur whether the vesmeans may be employed for operating the differential gear of the gearaxle. Inthe present instance this is efiected by moving the drivinginion 21 forwardly out of mesh with the di erential gear wheel 20. Acon- 'venient means for effecting this result is herein shown and ismade as follows: The bearing sleeve 70, mounted in the-neck portion 64of the inclosing casing, 'is provided with 0 positely extending lugs 85,85, which'extent through horizontal. slots 86, 86, in the opposite sidesof the casing (Figs. '2 and 7). This connection of the bearing sleeve 70with the casing holds said sleeve from rotating in the caslng. st1tutepivots for a power connecting and Said lugs condisconnecting lever 87provided with two .arms are shorter arms 89 which extend arms 88, 88,extending one on each side of the casing and provided with pivotapertures in which said lugs have bearing. Fixed to or made integralwith said lever forwardly from said pivot lugs. Loosely or pivotallyconnected with the. inner ends of said shorter arms are links 90, 90which are'in turn loosely connected with lugs 91, 91, integral with andextending l terally from'said casing, as most clearly s own in Figs. 1.and 2. It willthus be evident that when the lever 87 is swung forwardlinto the dotted line position indicated in ig. 1, the sleeve 70 and theinion 21, movable therewith, will be shifte forwardlyso as to I mediateor neck ortion thereof'by a p11??? disengage said pinion from the gearwheel 20, and thereby disconnect the-rear axle of the vehicle from themotor. Any suitable said lever and looking it in place. The

lever is herein shown. as designed to be locked to a lug or bracket 92extending forwardlyfrom the casing. at. one side of the inter-.

extending through. said lug and lever.

. connections for actuating said bevel pinion from the-lever constitutesconnection which serves to reliably hold the pinion engaged ',with thegear wheel 20 without throwing any considerable stress on the operatinglever or its locking devices.

Such parts of the motor driven vehicle that are not directly connectedwith the invention herein'dis'closed have been omitted, for the sake ofclearness of illustration of the invention, it being understood that thepresent invention'may be adapted to variously designed motor drivenvehiclemechanisms. It may be furthermore observed that the details ofthe invention will be varied to adapt the invention to different typesofvehicles. '60

claim as my inventionz- 1. In a motor driven vehicle, the combinationwith the motor driven shaft, the driven axle and power transmissionconnections between said motor shaft and driven axle, of

tendency of the load to an automatic brake mechanism cooperating withsaid power transmission connections,- means whereby the brake mechanismis automatically operated to arrest the vehicle upon tendency of theload to drive the vc' hicle, and means for disconnecting the driven axlefrom said brake mechanism'at a'point between the axle and brake'mechanism.

2. In a motor driven vehicle, the combination with the motor'drivenshaft and the driven axle thereof, of a sleeve mounted on said "shaftand capable of rotation thereon, a pinion non-rotatively fixed. to

- the sleeve and operativcly connected with the driven axle, means 0eratively connccted with the, end of'sai sleeve and designed toconstitute part of the power trans-- mitting connection when the vehicle-is driven by the motor, and an automatic brake mechanism cooperatingwith said connecting means for arresting the vehicle when the load,acting through said sleeve, tends to drive the vehicle.

3: In a motor driven .vehicle, the combination with the motor drivenshaftand movable with said nut, and means co6perating with said brakinrive said vehicle, to arrest said vehicle.

4. In a motor driven vehicle, the combination with the motor drivenshaft and devices, uponthe driven axle thereof, of a sleeve mounted onsaid shaft and capable of rotation thereon,

a pinion meshing with-a gear carried by the driven axle, said pinionbeing non-'rotatively endwise thereon, means operatively con nected withsaid sleeve and designed to constitute part of the power. transmissionconnection when tihBgVflel'llClQ is driven by the motor, an automaticbrake mechanism cooperating with said connecting means for arresting thevehicle, when the load, acting through said sleeve tends to drive the.

vehicle, and means for shifting 'said pinion endwise of the sleeve intoand out ofengage:

ment with the gear .on the driven axle.

5. In a motor driven vehicle, the'combin-ation with the motor drivenshaft and the driven axle geared to said shaft,rof an automatic brakingmechanism, means 0 erating said braking mechanism, when the bad tends todrivethe vehicle in'either direction,

116 .5? fixed to said sleeve and designed to slide m autbniatlcally brmgthe-.vehiele to a stop,

and" meansfor; op'eretively disconnecting the driven'axlefrom "the brakemechanism.

g .6. II; 'ai-mator driven vehicle, the com}. binetionwith the mbtorshaft capable of rotationjin gboth direetiorisjahd the driven axle .bfg,thvehicle, of a1 combined pOWer ttahsm is'sibn and automatic braking.mechanislitfoi' operatively cennecting said motor 0 shafit'and; drivenaxle, including meansifp'r trahsmittmg power to, operate the driven inboth directions, means ifiertmting,v 1 upqn'ftendeneyloff the -..-l'0'ad t0' ive, the

vehicle I iIf L either direction to. automaticelly "arrest the ehicle,and means for operatively 15 disconnecting the driven axle from-thebrake.

mechanism.

y In testimony, that I cleim the foregei'ng" as my invention I aflixmy-sig-na'ture in the.

resence. oft-W w n t is 12th day of 20 anuery, A. D.1907. I

